“Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where they are going.”

‒ Rita Mae Brown

Benefit of learning a second language:

Chinese and Spanish are the two most common native languages in the world, with about 1.2 billion people speaking Chinese and 400 million speaking Spanish.
Learning a second language helps connect a student with the rest of the world, and provides numerous benefits to the brain.

Many scientific studies have been done on the advantages of being bilingual. Learning more than one language increases the size of the hippocampus (the area responsible for creating, storing and playing back memories). It also provides numerous other benefits including increasing intelligence, multi-tasking, and reducing the effects of aging. Other studies have shown that people who know a second language (polyglots):

have higher IQs and intelligence (languages can actually increase the IQ)

are better at multi-tasking, planning, prioritizing, and decision making

score higher on standardized tests, such as the SAT and ACT test

have enhanced cognitive development

are better able to understand other points of view

can focus and concentrate better

are more willing to pursue of long term goals as opposed to short term goals

experience the onset of Alzheimer’s and dementia at a later age than single language adults